Reward Music

This is a mastered version of An Evening Like This. God bless you☝️

An Evening Like This

I went through a pretty rough patch in my early twenties. I was having a hard time because I just got out of a sinful relationship and by Gods providence, (hard providence) he used that sin to show me how sinful I was. Through the encouragement of this and a film called,”Walk The Line”, (a biopic about Johnny Cash) I was encouraged to turn to The Lord and to His scripture again; I figured if The Lord actually wanted him (in spite of sex, drugs, rock n’ roll & all), He might actually want me too. ‘Round this same time, I heard The Gospel from an ex-Franciscan Catholic Priest named, “Brennan Manning” (who consequently affected Rich Mullins, who in turn had a great affect on me to do what I’m doing today; songwriting to The Glory of God); he said, “God loves you as you are, not as you should be, because no one is as they should be”.

In the church I grew up in I felt as if I was the only black sheep within a flock of white, so, I couldn’t be wanted by God…I wasn’t clean, sparkly white and grinning already. I did not understand Grace then (grace: unmerited favor; a gift, GIFT from The One True and Living God). I did not understand the Gospel then. Fast forward a bit, I remember I was workin’ as a ripper in a grocery store, compacting cardboard (graveyard shift-singing while I worked in the early hours of the morning in a big room as loud as my heart was delighted). I don’t remember how exactly, but I was asked by a friend to be her dance partner-her swing dance partner at that (my band played her sweet sixteen-where I also met my soon to be dance instructor). We did dips n’ things; it was a lot of fun, but eventually I wanted to start coming and learning for myself too. The community welcomed me (with tears in my eyes at times-slightly). I had a home. I danced as much as I could; taking lessons at night and going to dances once or twice a week. It got to the point where I had volunteered to help so much, my teacher let me have dance lessons in exchange of my volunteer services at her swing dance club. I was part of “the posse” and it was a much appreciated grace to me (and good exercise at that for sure). It was there at my teachers club I met another friend. She wore a blue dress when I saw her and I never saw her again-come to find out I didn’t because she bought a pink dress she changed into that night (due to vendor in the back of the venue at the time of the dance). At the end of the night I asked a girl in a pink dress if she’d like to dance with me; it was her. After the dance was through, I found out she was a film student (and I was a street level film nerd watching TCM in the wee hours of the morning) so we hit it off swell. We started hangin’ out, watchin’ old movies and ones she thought I’d be into and she shared her film student insights with me. I don’t remember how I heard about it (like I say most frequently), but I remember inviting her to “Old Town Music Hall” (a silent movie theatre in El, Segundo, CA that has a whirlitzer organ which is referenced in this song and used on the track-Praise God! That’s a story in itself). She agreed and we went. It was a Laurel and Hardy film-I forget which one, but it was enjoyable, especially with the new (for me), but old experience of a silent film with organ playing in the place of speech and music. At the intermission I asked her if she wanted to stay or if she’d like to go dancing at an event that was hosted by my old promoter (my rockabilly God-Mom) “The Reverend Martini” at a military hangar base that held aircraft and such (forget where it was)-she liked the sound of that, so we headed out on our way there. When we got to the parking lot, she asked me a very curious question. She asked me,” Ron, what do you think love is?”. At the time, I really didn’t know. My view of love was distorted by sinful relationships I’d been in and I didn’t have any answer till I understood The Lord-He was the one that gave me it that evening. He was the one who gave me community, dancing, music, joy-God is love, and love cannot be understood without that premise. It’d just be a word we attach whatever meaning we want to (like I did in the beginning of the lyrics in my song). If it wasn’t for the giving of life of the very Son of God for our sins, we could not know what it was and even those who hate Him still experience that love everyday; because we are all living, breathing, sometimes dancing or singing. Every moment is from God (even the sinful ones that lead us too Him. Especially those). This is His spoken world and it is real (N.D.Wilson). We are real characters living in the story He is telling-not just on Sundays while we worship-every day. Our LIFE is worship. I hope that this track helps you see this too-that it helps you find the answer; what love is. I know it took me a long time to get it. I pray it takes you less. God bless you. I pray you listen & enjoy.

Soli Deo Gloria

-Ronnie

AN EVENING LIKE THIS       Key:Eb

Verse:

You ask me

What I think of love

I answer what is true

I thought I knew

Once before

For now I’d love to Dance

With you

Bridge:

The Whirlitzers

Or the Cinema

May suit you

Singin’ words to songs

That we still don’t know

and I try

My best

To help you

But your smile is stealing the

Show

A matter of fact

I have learned

Never to take

A moment like a kiss

So, as we dance

I’ll take a chance

To thank the LORD

For an Evening

Like This

LEAD SHEET

An Evening Like This(Ronnie Blanchet

Grace: God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit)

Producer: Larson Ghormley

Drums: David Simpkins

Bass: Gavin

Singer-Songwriter: Ronnie Blanchet

Harmonies: Ronnie Blanchet

Guitars: Ronnie Blanchet

SOLI DEO GLORIA

(To The Glory Of God Alone)
Father, Son & Holy Spirit
-Ronnie